Manganese metal may be produced by electrolysis in a fused salt electrolytic bath. A fused salt electrolytic bath for the production of manganese is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,233 by J. Y. Welsh, M. W. Milberg and H. R. Peterson, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such a fused salt electrolytic bath contains a mixture of oxides and also contains a fluoride. The fluoride, preferably calcium fluoride, is necessary in order to provide sufficient electrical conductivity and fluidity to the fused electrolyte. It is preferred that the bath contain at least 50% by weight of a fluoride; but it is possible to operate a fused salt electrolytic bath with an electrolyte containing less than 50% by weight of fluoride. The mixture of oxides in the fused salt electrolytic bath may include B.sub.2 O.sub.3, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2, CaO, K.sub.2 O, Na.sub.2 O, BaO, MnO, or a combination of these or other similar oxides. The composition of the electrodes and the electrical operation of the electrolytic cell are fully described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,233.
The fused salt electrolytic process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,233 reduces a lower oxide of manganese such as manganese (II) oxide to manganese metal. The present invention provides an improved process for reducing higher manganese oxides, such as manganese (IV) dioxide, contained in a manganese ore to manganese metal via manganese (II) oxide, using a pelletized blend of crushed manganese ore and a solid carbonaceous fuel heated by a fused salt electrolytic bath.